The United Kingdom is contending with a prolonged period of severe winter weather, as a complex system of Met Office warnings for snow, ice, wind, and rain remains active across the nation in the wake of deadly Storm Goretti.
Storm Aftermath and Ongoing Disruption
The powerful storm, which brought gusts approaching 100mph earlier in the week, resulted in tragic consequences. A man in his 50s was killed in Helston, Cornwall, after a tree fell onto his caravan on Thursday evening. Emergency services worked into Friday to recover the victim.
The storm's disruption continues to be widely felt. Thousands of properties were still without electricity by Saturday evening, according to National Grid. Travel networks are also severely impacted, with National Rail advising passengers that train disruptions could last until Monday.
Current Weather Warnings and Forecast
A mosaic of alerts is in force for Sunday. An amber warning for snow covers parts of Scotland including Aberdeenshire, Moray, and the Highlands until 2pm, with the potential for up to 30cm on higher ground and blizzard conditions.
Meanwhile, a broad yellow warning for snow and ice is active for much of Scotland, the Midlands, north-east and north-west England, and Yorkshire until 3pm. Separate yellow warnings for heavy rain affect south-west Scotland and Northern Ireland, with up to 110mm possible in parts of the Scottish Highlands by Monday morning.
Forecaster Craig Snell described a "messy transition" as a new weather system brings milder air and rain, which will turn to snow where it meets the cold air. "It will herald a very different flavour of weather for all of us as we go into next week," he stated, with temperatures expected to rise to 9-11C in the south.
Infrastructure and Water Supply Issues
The severe conditions have compounded infrastructure problems. Government minister Mary Creagh labelled ongoing water supply issues in the South East and South West as "entirely unacceptable". She chaired a crisis meeting with water companies on Saturday to prioritise restoring supplies to vulnerable customers.
South East Water reported that customers in areas like East Grinstead, West Sussex, have had no water or low pressure since Saturday morning, with a resolution not expected until the end of the weekend. In Cornwall, South West Water said a combination of storm damage, power cuts, and a fault at a treatment works had caused severe disruption, though supplies have been restored to over half of those affected. Both companies have set up bottled water stations.
The Met Office continues to urge the public in warning areas to prepare for difficult travel conditions, dangerous driving, and the risk of slips and falls on ice.
